Reyadh:The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) confirmed that 2018 has witnessed many decisions
that contributed to the supporting and empowerment of Saudi women, paving their
way for entry into many new areas, Saudi Permanent Representative to the UN
Abdullah bin Yahya Al-Mouallimi said, adding that the Year 2018 marks the year of
transformation and excellence, for the Saudi women. This came in the Kingdom’s
speech, at the session of the Executive Council of the United Nations Women’s
Authority, which he delivered, in New York.
He also thanked the United NationsCommission on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women for its outstanding performance and achievement of most of the goals set for the first year of the
implementation of the Strategic Plan for the period 2018-2021. The Kingdom
appreciated the contribution of the United Nations Women’s Fund to the promotion of
women’s rights in leadership, government and economic empowerment by encouraging
laws that promote women’s rights, as well as supporting the development of
government entities, partnerships, international organizations and policies to enable
women to have better access to services, finance and utilization of productive
resources, Al-Mouallimi concluded.
Up to 70 percent of passport control officers based at key Saudi airports could be
women by next year. The Saudi General Directorate of Passports has started training
760 new female recruits for the soldier-ranked roles, to be assigned to the Kingdom’s
land, sea and air entry and exit points. The latest intake will be the second group to pass
through the directorate’s training center covering the regions of Riyadh, Makkah,
Madinah, and Dammam.
Saudi women will be able to apply for government notary posts following a milestone
move by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice. The ministry announced grade-7 “notary
public” vacancies for women, who will work at notarial offices across the country. The
breakthrough move to boost female employment within the legal sector comes as part
of ministry plans to support and empower women, widen career options and encourage
them play a bigger role in the sector.
In January 2019, the General Authority for Statistics (GASTA) published its Labor Market
Bulletin for the third quarter of 2018. The survey revealed that the economic
participation rate of Saudi women (15 years and over) increased to 19.7% compared to
19.6% for the previous quarter.
In January 2019, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development announced the launch of
the Unified Regulation of Women's Work Environment Initiative to create an attractive
working environment for women to enhance their presence in various labor market
activities and to facilitate private sector enterprises to attract and empower women to
work.
According to a report by the Saudi Ministry of Labor and Social Development, the
country’s private sector registered a 130% increase in the number of working Saudi
women during the last four years. Women represent 30% of the total Saudi workforce
in the private sector. Several projects have been initiated to tackle the challenge of
transportation that women face while commuting to work. There are projects that offer
women the option to work from home, which is likely to generate over 140,000 jobs by
Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Muhammad Saleh bin Taher Benten issued a decision
appointing Hanadi Ramdani and Nujod Jamal Al-Lail as members of the Board of
Directors of the Foundation for the South Asian Pilgrims' Foundation, in a gesture to
empower Saudi women and increase their participation in the labor market in general
and the Hajj guidance career in particular.
From 2018 onwards girls in Saudi Arabia have started receiving physical education
lessons as part of the curriculum in public schools .
Women in Saudi Arabia have for the first time been allowed to become notaries, with 12
women granted permission to start working in the profession .
A flight school in Saudi Arabia is opening its doors for women. Oxford Aviation Academy,
a leading trainer and crew recruiter, has already received applications from hundreds of
women hoping to start lessons at a new branch in the eastern city of Dammam .
Some prominent women in the Kingdom
Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan made diplomatic history when she was sworn in
as Saudi ambassador to the US. She is a graduate with a bachelor’s degree in museum
studies from George Washington University. A noted entrepreneur and philanthropist,
before her diplomatic appointment Princess Reema had been vice president of women’s
affairs at the General Sports Authority since 2016 .
Dr. Mona Al Munajjed, Saudi Arabia’s foremost sociologist has been instrumental in
formulating several social development field projects for which she received the UN-21
Award for excellence, outstanding coordination and individual productivity in 2005.
Dr. Hayat bint Sulaiman bin Hassan Sindi is a Saudi Arabian scientist. She was appointed
as the 2011 Emerging Explorer by National Geographic, and in 2012, a United Nations
Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Goodwill Ambassador for
science education. She has served at the UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory
Board. She developed a diagnostic tool used for the early detection of breast cancer and
the Magnetic Acoustic Resonance Sensor (MARS).
Dr. Khawla S. Al-Khuraya is a Saudi oncologist and professor of pathology. She is well
known for identifying FOSM1 gene, which prompts the human body to form cancer
cells. She was the first Saudi woman to receive the Order of King Abdulaziz Al Saud in
2010 for her cancer research.
Dr. Tamader Al-Rammah Yousef Mogbel Al-Rammah has been appointed as the
kingdom’s Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Development. She was also appointed
supervisor of the Social Welfare and Family Agency in addition to her work. Additionally,
the member parties of the Convention on Elimination of all kinds of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW) have elected her as member of the UN committee on
elimination of discrimination against women .
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), represented by Hail International
Airport’s administration and Nesma Airlines, celebrated the first official flight of a Saudi
female co- pilot, Ms. Yasmin Al Maimani (29 year old). Ms. Maimani flew her first flight
between (King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Prince Naif International
Airport in Qaseem) and between (Hail International Airport and Prince Sultan bin
Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk). Ms. Maimani holds a commercial license
becoming the first female to co-pilot a commercial plane in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia. Nesma Airlines currently employs Ms. Maimani. GACA gives full support to the
empowerment of Saudi women in the field of air transport, in continuation of the great
achievements made by the Kingdom toward female empowerment and its strong presence in the labor market.
Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan made diplomatic history when she was sworn in
as Saudi ambassador to the US. She is a graduate with a bachelor’s degree in museum
studies from George Washington University. A noted entrepreneur and philanthropist,
before her diplomatic appointment Princess Reema had been vice president of women’s
affairs at the General Sports Authority since 2016
Dr. Samar Al-Homoud, consultant colorectal surgeon at King Faisal Specialized Hospital
and the Research Center, whom the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman
bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, honored this year with King Abdulaziz Medal of First Class at the
National Festival of Heritage and Culture (Janadriyah). She was also selected by the
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization to
join the World Commission for the Arbitration of Scientific Research in Cancer.
Dr.Khawla Al-Kuraya, Senior Cancer Research Scientist at King Faisal Specialized Hospital,
currently directs the King Fahd National Center for Children's Cancer and Research, at
King Faisal Specialized Hospital and the Research Center in Riyadh. In the field of science, the researcher Fatoun Sayegh, has got her doctorate degree in applicable fungi technology from University of Liverpool, UK, and she won honorablemembership to the European Organization, working as head of natural marine productsunit at King Fahd Research Center with many memberships to various scientific and international societies in the field of environment and biological technology.
The researcher Hayat Sindy is the first Arab women who got doctorate degree in biological
technology from University of Cambridge, with many inventions including probe of
acoustic and magnetic waves that determines the required medications for human body
and helps astronauts in monitoring sugar and blood pressure levels in their bodies. She
has also research projects in protection of environment and measuring of poisonous
gases.
In space field, Princess Dr. Mashael bint Mohammad Al Saud could set a historic
fingerprint as the first Saudi female who is working at the Space Research and Remote
Sensing Institute of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh. Also,
Mashael Al-Shmemari, the first Saudi female who is working in design of nuclear missiles
and joined NASA to carry out space studies, working on the development of special
researches in this field.
Saudi women were also appointed to important economic positions such as Dr. Iman
bint Habbas Al-Mutairi, Assistant to Minister of Commerce and Investment and Mrs.
Kholoud Al-Dekhail, head of the Committee of Statistics at the Council of Saudi
Chambers. Also, Mrs. Sara Al-Suhaimi is the first Saudi woman to be appointed as head
of Tadawul board, specializing in the field of finance and investment and chairing the
board of the strongest regulatory authority of financial market inside and outside Saudi
Arabia. Mrs. Rania Nashar was also appointed as chief executive officer of Samba
financial group with extensive banking experience for about 20 years.
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